For years, manufacturers have worked towards producing computing systems which assist our lives in a wide range of ways and allow us to perform a variety of different tasks with increased speed and ease. Generally speaking, such computing systems comprise a combination of electrical hardware components, including but not limited to microprocessors, which are interconnected and programmed to perform one or more specified functions. A user interface is provided, typically in the form of a keyboard or keypad arrangement in combination with an accompanying video graphics monitor or display unit, to allow the user to interact with and control the operations of the computing system. The software programming associated with such systems may be resident exclusively within the microprocessors or processing units, as is the case with a common calculator, or it may be selectively loaded into the internal memory of the system, as is the case with a typical personal computer. In this regard, the production of tailor-made software application programs for use with such personal computing systems has proliferated to the extent that it is possible to procure software capable of performing seemingly any task. For instance, programs for word processing, spread sheet/data-management, entertainment/video games, and accessing remote databases via the Internet are just a few prime examples of the different ways in which such computing systems pervade and improve our daily lives.
One of the main goals of manufacturers, of course, is to provide a system which is adequately powerful and sophisticated so as to allow a user to accomplish a host of ordinarily manual or mundane tasks in a quick and expedient fashion, while at the same time ensuring that the system is relatively simple, straightforward, and "user friendly" such that people can readily understand, grasp, and exploit the technology. By producing computing systems in this "user friendly" and inviting fashion, manufacturers serve the higher goal of increasing the user base for the particular system which, it will be appreciated, nay translate into increased profits and a more prominent presence in the marketplace. The efforts undertaken thus far in this regard have focused primarily on providing simplifications to either the keyboard/keypad assemblies, or the various screen displays generated by the computing system and displayed on the video graphics monitors or display modules. Once again, these simplifications are provided to make the computing system more "user friendly" such that a greater number of people can operate and master the particular computing system.
First with regard to the keyboard/keypad assemblies, perhaps the most common and long-standing simplification effort involves the use of function keys (F1, F2, F3, etc.), which are provided on the keyboard and preprogrammed to perform a host of macro operations with the striking of a single key. The use of these function keys effectively minimizes the number of keystrokes necessary to accomplish a given task, thereby simplifying the operation of the application program for the end user. However, while this simplification arrangement does reduce the number of keystrokes required to accomplish a given task, there is still a substantial amount of memorization that must be undertaken to master what operation is performed by each function key. Moreover, it is typical that the definition associated with each particular function key changes in meaning depending upon where the user is operating within the overall application software program. This, of course, further adds to the complexity of operating the computing system in that it requires memorizing not only the primary operation to be carried out by each function key, but also the multitude of secondary operations which can be performed by each particular function key. To overcome the disadvantage of having to undertake such laborious memorization measures, various template arrangements have been provided in close proximity to the function keys so as to identify the various operations performed by each function key. Providing such a template arrangement, however, can detract from the ergonomic appearance of the computing system and, moreover, presents the possibility of becoming lost or displaced such that the user will be unable to adequately identify the appropriate function keys for the desired operations in the absence of the template.
Another drawback of this arrangement is that the simplification is merely one dimensional, with the improvement being restricted to the keyboard/keypad assembly itself and not offering any supplemental improvement or simplification to the screen display. Although this technique effectively reduces the number of interactions necessary to perform a specified function, there is little or nothing on the screen which further aids the user in managing the operation of the computing system. This lack of direction and instruction may be especially troublesome for those individuals who are either inexperienced or uncomfortable with computers and related technology in that they may still be incapable of mastering the particular application program notwithstanding the simplification offered by the preprogrammed function keys.
With the commercialization of the Internet and the ever increasing gap between those individuals who are computer literate and computer illiterate, it is of paramount importance that the available technology be made as simple, straightforward, and approachable so that every man, woman, and child is capable of operating and mastering such computing systems.
Many other attempts at simplifying keyboard/keypad arrangements have been made which focus more directly on facilitating the mechanical operation of such computing systems. For example, keyboards have been developed which are capable of being operated with one hand. Also, a scheme for color coding a keyboard has been taught where the keyboard is subdivided into one or more fields with actuation of two keys from the same field concurrently representing a particular character in the alphabet. However, these efforts at simplifying the physical operation of a computing system are essentially one dimensional in that the improvement is confined to the keyboard/keypad assembly itself and is not tied to other parts of the user interface such as the visual screen display or the pointing device (e.g., mouse, trackball or trackpad). A need exists for an easier interface to a computing system which incorporates all of the elements of the user interface such that individuals who are unfamiliar and/or phobic of computing systems will be more inclined to work with such systems.
Another keyboard/keypad simplification technique has been taught for use with children. This particular simplification involves a color coded computer keyboard for facilitating the operation of application programs by children. In this regard, each particular set of keys are color coded according to their function. For example, the alphabet keys are a first color, the numbered keys are a second color, the function keys are a third color, etc. However, this color coding arrangement merely assists the children in grouping each set of keys according to color and does not eliminate the substantial amount of memorization that must be performed to master the multiple definitions attached to the various function keys. These memorization requirements further add to the complexity of operating the computing system in that the user is still required to memorize not only the primary operation to be carried out by each function key, but also the multitude of secondary operations which can be performed by each particular function key. Moreover, this simplification technique is one dimensional with the improvement being narrowly tailored to the keyboard/keypad assembly without any supplemental simplification on the screen display. As noted above, such a technique merely addresses a select portion of the greater problem of making the operation and control of technologically sophisticated computer systems a realizable goal for an ordinary, inexperienced computer user.
Turning now to the video graphics monitors and display units, probably the most common simplification technique involves setting forth pictorial representations on the screen display (i.e., icons) which serve as shorthand instructional aids for each particular function. By incorporating the use of a mouse, joystick, or similar device, the various icons on the screen displays may be "clicked" upon or otherwise selected so as to initiate a given function without the need for any keystrokes on the keyboard or keypad arrangement. For example, it is typical to provide instructional icons containing pictures of a printer, a pair of scissors, and a computer disc to graphically represent the computer functions of printing, cutting/editing text, and saving a file, respectively. Thus, to initiate any of these functions, a user need only click upon the appropriate pictorial instructional icon. However, as with the aforementioned simplification techniques, this icon arrangement suffers the disadvantage of being one dimensional and, therefore, inadequate. This simplification technique differs from those previously enumerated in that the improvement is confined to the video graphics monitor/display unit, rather than the keyboard/keypad assembly. As such, a void exists in the user interface in that there are no guiding features on the keyboard which correspond to and complement the pictorial instructional icons illustrated on the video graphics monitor or display unit. Once again, this one dimensional simplification effort merely addresses a portion of the greater problem of producing computing systems which are truly "user friendly" and non-threatening to computer novices.
Another simplification technique for involving color has been taught which involves a user inputting information to a computer using colors by typing a filename in a specified color that the application interprets and performs a specific function related to that color. Similarly, the technique involves assigning color to data elements, wherein the particular color indicates what specific function, attribute, or value should be associated with the given data element. By associating a color with the filename and/or data element, the specific functions to be performed can be communicated to the computing system without the overhead of additional keystrokes or character information. However, the technique as taught changes the meanings attached to the various colors used throughout the application program depending upon where the user happens to be in the program. As such, a given color may have several different meanings associated therewith which, again, adds to the complexity of learning and operating such a computing system. This, of course, cuts directly against the general need to keep things an simple as possible to appeal to novice computer users.
A need therefore exists for an improved user interface scheme for computing systems and the like which provides a two dimensional simplification technique with substantive improvements to both the keyboard/keypad assembly and the screen displays on the video graphics monitor or display units such that the particular computing system is easy to learn, master, and operate for any potential user, regardless of their level of experience with computers and high technology. By presenting a two dimensional simplification technique which is simple, straightforward, and easy to learn with complementary improvements to both the keyboard/keypad assembly and the screen displays, such an user interface scheme will advantageously serve to narrow gap between those individuals who are computer literate and computer illiterate such that a larger number of individuals will be capable of operating and mastering such computing systems.
A need also exists for an improved user interface scheme for computing systems and the like which is relatively simple, straightforward, and "user friendly" so an to minimize the amount of memorization and/or study effort required to operate and master said computing systems. By providing such a "user friendly" simplification technique, this will advantageously ensure that people can readily understand, grasp, and master the particular computing system so as to exploit the available technology. Moreover, providing such a "user friendly" instructional scheme will also advantageously serve the higher goal of increasing the user base for the particular system, potentially translating into increased profits and an elevated market presence.
The present invention provides a solution to this and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.